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After suspending engineers, BBMP to go after contractors

Friday, 10 November 2017 11:50 administrator
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The Hindu      10.11.2017 

After suspending engineers, BBMP to go after contractors

A pothole on Mudaliar Road near Shivajinagar bus stand.Sudhakara JainSudhakara Jain  

Mayor says civic officials will inspect quality of work after potholes are filled

In the process of making Bengaluru’s roads motorable again, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has cracked the whip on its own. As many as four engineers have been suspended in two days after the deadline set by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to get rid of potholes ended. Next in the firing line are contractors.

Though complaints of potholes dominate, there have also been a large number of complaints of shoddily done pothole-filling work.

Mayor R. Sampath Raj said the palike is prioritising filling up potholes, after which it will set its sights on the quality of work. “As of now, of the around 30,000 potholes, at least 28,000 have been filled. Work to fill potholes is still on. After we complete this, we will start inspecting the quality of work. If it is not satisfactory, action will be taken against the contractors,” he said.

The BBMP had recently published a list of contractors with their contact numbers. These were contractors who were still liable for repairs under the maintenance period, during which they bear the cost of repair as well. Now, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad has sought a report on the roads which still have potholes after the deadline — which got four engineers suspended — and if they are under the maintenance period.

“If a particular road is under the maintenance period and if there is no work done or the work done is shoddy, it is the responsibility of the local engineer to get it done by the contractor, who is also held responsible. If the maintenance work on a particular road is over, then the engineer is responsible completely to get it laid or repaired. Prima facie, we have taken action against engineers of wards where roads still have potholes despite repeated instructions to have them removed,” Mr. Prasad said.

He added that if the roads were under the maintenance period, show cause notices will be issued to the contractors. “We will also confiscate the security deposit and blacklist them,” he said. In 2015, the BBMP had blacklisted 40 contractors for shoddy work.

As of now, of the around 30,000 potholes, at least 28,000 have been filled

R. Sampath Raj

Mayor

 

Corpn wards happy with State’s development promise

Monday, 25 September 2017 07:26 administrator
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The Hindu       25.09.2017  

Corpn wards happy with State’s development promise

An interim order to be in place till a new plan comes about

For the residents of around 50 wards in the Corporation area, the State government’s notification of the Interim Development Order (IDO) in the city Corporation two days ago, has come as a relief.

Ever since the freezing of the previous Draft Master Plan three years ago, residents in several wards have been facing issues to get their building permits approved. When the draft master plan 2013 was scrapped due to opposition from residents, close to 50 wards, which were added to the Corporation in recent years, ended up without a sanctioned master plan.

Core areas

Only the core areas of the city comes under the previous sanctioned master plan, prepared in 1971. Without an Interim Development Order in place, building permit applications in such areas that came near green strips had to be forwarded from the Corporation to the Regional Town Planner. There have been quite a few rejections in this period. In the IDO, residential buildings till 300 square metres are allowed in plots of area between 3 and 10 cents. In the case of plots of area between 10 and 25 cents, residential buildings till 400 square metres are allowed. All other construction purposes are limited to 200 square metres.

But, former Additional Chief Town Planner Jacob Easow who prepared the Master Plan of 2013, has criticised the delay in issuing the Interim Development Order. “The first master plan was prepared for period 1966 to 1986. Even though the second master plan was prepared and later published in 1994, it was not sanctioned by the State government. After 19 years, the third master plan (draft) was prepared and published in 2013, but it was scrapped due to several objections. Now an Interim Development Order(IDO) has been released. This could have been done in 2013 or 2014 itself. Why did we waste all this time in issuing the IDO?” he asks. However, Corporation officials say that the IDO could not have been initiated until the preparation of the new Master Plan had officially begun.

New master plan

“The process to prepare the new Master Plan began only earlier this year. So, IDO could be notified only after that,” said the official.

The IDO will be in force until the approval of the new Master Plan.

Though December was the earlier deadline for the Master Plan, it is expected to take at least an year more, going by its current pace.

The IDO could have been released in 2013 or 2014 itself. Why did we waste all this time in issuing it?

Jacob Easow

Former Additional Chief Town Planner

 

BMC to include slums in garbage composting plan

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 10:25 administrator
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The Times of India       19.09.2017  

BMC to include slums in garbage composting plan

| TNN | Sep 14, 2017, 05:35 IST
MUMBAI: Not only bulk generators like housing societies and restaurants, the BMC is also planning to rope in the slums in Mumbai for composting of garbage. The civic body has planned to initiate the concept of "community composting", wherein garbage from slums would be brought in a common area and composted within the same locality itself.

The BMC has already instructed its 24 ward officers to identify areas near slums where composting could take place. "We plan to ask those who go house to house to collect waste from slums to bring it to an area where it can be segregated and treated accordingly . The BMC would fund the expenses," said an official. Civic officials said this would eventually save the travel cost incurred as well as time taken for transportation of garbage from slums to the dumps in the city. As per the 2011 census, around 41% of Mumbai lives in slums.

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All these steps come in view of the BMC's October 2 deadline from when the civic body has decided not to lift wet garbage from those which generate over 100 kg of waste daily. These waste generators are expected to segregate and treat their garbage within their premises. By doing so, the BMC is anticipating that the waste taken to dumping grounds — Deonar, Kanjurmarg and Mulund — would come down to 6,500 metric tons from the current 7,600 metric tons. However, with the slums also being roped in, the BMC believes they would be able to bring down waste collection further to below 5,000 metric tons.

Dr Lata Ghanshamnani from NGO Rnisarg Foundation, who has been working in the space of waste management for the last four years, said a big problem with slums is that they do not keep dustbins and are seen disposing off their waste in the nearby nullahs.

 
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